Sometimes, no, probably most times, the British climate can be challenging, almost always annoying and invariably disappointing. Or is it our reliance on apparently wishlist weather forecasts by the Met Office. To be generous, they usually get it right but they’re in a different time zone to the rest of us, yes? It’s like the Morecambe and wise sketch with Andre Previn where Eric tries to play Grieg’s piano concerto with discordant notes and when challenged by Andre grabs him by the collar and says “I’m playing all the right notes —but not necessarily in the right order” . And so it is with the weathermen they get all the ingredients right but not necessarily in the right time frame!

Any way I digress, but I have to explain the bland photos in this article – after all why should I take the blame?

My aim was to try and fill a gap in my Shroppie canal photos. So, I had driven 60 odd miles on 24 September 2013 to Audlem through glorious sunshine (as forecasted) and then what happened? Someone sent in the clouds soon after I arrived, out of spite I have convinced myself. Hence the bland photos.

My planned journey was to walk from Audlem town (surrounding the lowest lock 15 of the flight), southwards to Lock 1.

Audlem – a town that is proud of itself, a town that welcomes visitors and a town that rejoices in its inherited asset of the canal. They hold a superb festival in September each year celebrating the canal and augmenting it with classic car exhibits amongst other festive things.

Having, said all that I have to say that even taking into account the poor photographic weather, the locks are a little lack lustre and have a sameness prevalent that is basically flat farm field surroundings.

This view may seem harsh but it becomes vindicated when one compares it with other stretches of canal. But ,maybe it was the dull skies that have frustrated and depressed my views – I must have blue skies, fluffy clouds, boats and people for my photos to succeed in uplifting the viewers’ spirits, or so I suppose.

Here is a slideshow of my photos, and below a Google map with the locks marked.

Better late than never! I did enjoy reading your short article, one of your best but not even you can be blamed for the weather Geoff! Your photographs I still thought were very impressive – they made one use our imagination for a change as to what those same scenes would have expressed if the sun had been shining. You still brought out the fact that boat people [lots of them] will get out on the water whatever the weather and enjoy themselves. Not one person looked the least downcast – every photograph having its own individual interests, almost making the overcast conditions disappear. I’m so pleased that they didn’t!